Wednesday, March 7, 2012

Basil Tomatoes - Maui, Hawaii

From one island to another

Man from Sicily cultivated tomatoes to his taste on Maui





As we sat at Basil Toma­toes Italian Grille on the Maui island of Hawaii just before sunset, a spectacu­lar backlit cloud formed a silver streak over the Pacific Ocean.

Between bites of basil tomato bread dipped in Ital­ian butter, sweet fresh tomatoes and savory rich pomodoro sauce, we watched the last rays of sunlight disappear as another day in paradise came to a close.

Though there’s plenty to keep you busy on the islands — tackling the tides, biking the volcanoes or lazing under a palm tree — it was homegrown toma­toes that captured our attention on this day.

Jon Applegate opened the restaurant, which is in an old golf course club­house on the grounds of Ka’anapali Royal Lahaina Resort, in 1995. Rarely do they advertise, relying instead on the word of mouth that goes hand in hand with great taste.

The incredibly sweet, delicious varieties of toma­toes that dominate the restaurant tables are vine­ripened hydroponics raised at Applegate’s Olowalu Nui Farm about 30 minutes away in the West Maui Mountains.

“My father was Sicilian.

The only reason he built the farm was he couldn’t find good tomatoes,” said Haku Applegate, the restau­rant’s co-owner and manager.

We took up the invitation to follow the Olowalu Nui Farm manager, Ron Hazel, in his yellow pickup and bounced down a dirt road to see the 10,000 tomato plants growing under his care.

At the Olowalu Nui Farm they raise red and yellow beef­steak varieties and heirloom tomatoes. The area’s climate with little rain, lots of heat and sun and warm humid air, contributes to the quality of the fruit.

“For us, it is 90 days from seed to pulling fruit,” Hazel said.

“But our claim to fame is that we don’t pick them until they are ready. It is the lycopene that gives the tomatoes their taste. If the tomato hasn’t developed on the vine there is no taste. If the tomatoes have been picked early, the lycopene, which is the sugars, has not developed in the fruit.”

Hazel first directed us to the keiki (seed) house where trays hold 5,000 to 6,000 seedlings.

From there, the tiny plants in their Rockwool cubes are placed in troughs made from PVC pipe. They are watered and fertilized several times a day through a gravity flow system to alleviate algae and viruses.

Pollination is big factor. As the plants mature, often they use a leaf blower on every flowering branch. Tomatoes can grow up to 30 feet and must be tied up with twine.

As they begin to produce, Hazel leaves three tomatoes on each truss and trims off the marble-size tomatoes. The plant continues to grow for six to nine months, each yield­ing about 30 pounds of tomatoes.

“When the plant starts to produce spindly fruit, it is on its way out,” Hazel noted.

Picking, washing and boxing the fruit is a daily task for Hazel and seven other employees. The Olowalu Nui Farm sells 1,000 pounds of tomatoes each week with distribution only on Maui.

Tomatoes off the vine are used to create freshly prepared sauces, salads and the restaurant’s Tomato Basil Bread.

“The chef starts with 30 gallons of tomatoes for the pomodoro sauce, which takes five hours to cook down to 15 gallons,” managing partner Jack Kaahui said.

Even with the shades pulled up as the sun goes down, the air is filled with the simmering scent of sumptuous thicken­ing sauces.

“As an Italian, my dad loved the vibrant flavors. He used seven different herbs, twice as much garlic and onions,” Haku Applegate said. “And when he put the fork in the tomato sauce, if it would fall through, it was a ‘no go’.”







Basil Tomatoes Italian Grille, 2760 Kekaa Drive in Lahaina, Hawaii, is open daily from 5 to 9 p.m. They can be reached at 808-662-3210. PHOTOS COURTESY OF POLLY KOLSTAD







On the Road

— Polly Kolstad

Mystery Crazy Quilt

100-YEAR-OLD PUZZLE

Crazy quilt cues mystery


By POLLY KOLSTAD


For the Tribune


Eight years ago, Wilma Moses bought a trunk at a garage sale in Billings, setting up a mystery that a Great Falls quilting club still is working to unravel.

Sitting in a box near the trunk was a pile of junk and unusual fabric. Moses, who had an antique shop specializing in old clothes and fab­rics, inquired about the box. The young man running the sale said his wife picked it up from a garage saIe in Butte.

“I took it home and stashed it in a closet,” Moses said.

Moses showed it to a man from Butte who thought it came from an early women’s sewing club. A few years later Moses gave it to her daughter-in-law, who never did anything with it. Eventually, Moses sent it off to her sister, Arliss Engstrom of Great Falls.

“It is a most interesting chain … Thank heavens that Arliss got that quilt,” Moses said.

The box included seven blocks of a large crazy quilt started a century ago. Crazy quilts are made of irregularly shaped and patterned pieces of cloth sewn together.

The antiquated pieces were hand-stitched onto old flour sacks with some transfers still not embroidered or sewn. The work­in- progress measured 50 inches by 70 inches and stretched beyond the borders of a large table.

Tucked among the fabric was a book titled “Civil Government with a Montana Supplement,” copyright 1909. The makers of this unique quilt used the book to carefully preserve the embroi­dery thread used in the decorative seams.

It appeared that at least parts of the quilt were based on the Consti­tution- themed book. The center of the quilt included a black circle apparently intended for the U.S.

Seal.

Engstrom and her Monday morning quilting friends set out to learn more about the origins of the quilt and to finish it.

“We are a group of 12 retired schoolteachers, home economics instructors, nurses and fantastic artists,” Ruth Delich said of the women, who meet weekly at the Quilt Away shop.

After getting the quilt pieces, the group spent the next 36 months completing what was most likely started 100 years earlier.

“When Arliss brought the quilt to us, she inspired all of us, and as time went on, it just got more interesting,” Delich said of the group’s largest project so far.

The completed quilt contains a


See QUILT, 3H















ABOVE: Arliss Engstrom holds a quilt that the Monday Morning Quilting Group at Quilt Away finished recently.

INSET: A civil government book that was in the box containing the quilt that the Monday Morning Quilting Group finished recently held embroidery thread.
TRIBUNE PHOTOS/LARRY BECKNER























BELOW: Members of the quilting group are, left to right, Sandie Jackman, Vicki Bickler, Judi Austin, Jerry Evans, Darlene Gardner, Laurita Jensen, Carol Walters, Susan Dreyer, Terry Reynolds, Pat Bauer, Ruth Delich and Arliss Engstrom.

BOTTOM: Details from the crazy quilt are shown. At left, a spider design on a quilt is said to bring good luck. On the right, Terry Reynolds did the embroidery work on the U.S. Seal while Judi Austin did the needlework at the seal’s edges.


THREE PHOTOS BY POLLY KOLSTAD




Article Continued Below



See QUILT on Page H03




Quilt

Continued from 1H

feast of jewel-colored shapes of scrap pieces typical of crazy quilts.

Following the original style of the work, the local quilters used whatever was at hand. In this case, many of the scraps are silk, which according to Susan Drewer, was common 100 years ago.

“There’s even knives and forks in one patch,” Terry Reynolds said.

There is also a black spider, which according to one folk art source, is found on many crazy quilts and symbolizes good luck.

The group learned various original stitches to attach the squares and the seven blocks, researching sewing methods from the early 1900s.

They used fancy stitches to do the outlining with the help of the old chenille threads that were stashed in the “Civil Government” book.

Everything was done by hand, even the stitching of the black velveteen backing.

To complete the U.S. seal, Engstrom found a pattern and drew it on. Reynolds did the embroidery work, and Judy Austin sewed the embellishments around the seal.

Within the quilt patches are designs of flowers, old lace and tatting work. Pat Bauer created crochet work of butterflies, and Laurita Jensen cross-stitched “E Pluribus Unum.”

“It is ultimately, a testimony to friendship and fellowship,” Austin said of the finished product. “We love everyone here.”

From their research, the group believes that the crazy quilt may have come from the Marian White Arts & Crafts Club in Butte, which was existence from 1905 to 1914, but they are looking for more answers. Anyone with clues to the origin of the quilt is asked to call Engstrom at 761-3898.

The quilt is available to exhibit, and eventually will be donated.

“It has to go somewhere where it has meaning,” Engstrom said.




All the best,
Sydne







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Friday, December 30, 2011

Key West, Florida

     Wander as far south as you may, and you will come ashore in Key West, Florida.

     Miles away from the ordinary, the lure of the turquoise waters, mingling two seas, the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean, brings tidings to tourists who laze on the beaches, or walk the cobbled town streets .

     In search of history and adventure, our Floridian friends suggested a Key West sojourn, and we jumped on board the Key West Express, a three hour jet-powered boat ride from Fort Meyers.  We opted for that trip version instead of the 130 mile causeway drive on the original train route of Henry Flagler who built the overseas railroad in 1905.

     Arriving at mid day, we taxied through bougainvillea shrouded streets eclipsed by banyan, kapok, live oak, and mangrove trees to our domicile, the Duval Inn.  We anticipated a tropical island stay pursuing an interesting cast of characters from writers, to Presidents, to balladeers, even treasure hunters. 

     Through all the pleasantries of this vintage village, one immediately stops to ponder the wild poultry that potter across busy streets. Free at last from a 1970s law, the black breasted red chickens are descendants of fighting cocks brought to the island in the 1800s by Eduardo Gato, a wealthy cigar factory owner.  The gypsy roosters and hens cock their heads and study tiny gecko lizards darting across sidewalks, while the out of towners stare in amazement.

      History has left a smoking statement in Key West. In the late 1800s and early 20ieth century, hand rolled cigar manufacturers were prominent.  At one time, there were eighty factories that dotted this two-mile by four-mile island.  When Fidel Castro took over Cuba in 1969, all U.S. trade was banned, snuffing out the lucrative operations. 

      Since then, tourism has become a major industry and kept this old town above ground surviving the havoc of hurricanes.  Thus it is that nature goes wild and domestic in a relaxed manner in Key West.

      Take a leisurely stroll down Whitehead Street and you can retrace the footsteps and paw prints of Ernest Hemingway’s legacy as you turn into the beautifully restored plantation house where the Nobel Prize winner wrote during his most productive years.  You will be met by Fats Waller, one of the living descendants of the Hemingway six- toed cats who roam the grounds showing up on hall tables and napping on the author’s antebellum bed.  Not minding his feline following, guide, Bob, remarked that these polydactyl cats originally came from the seaports in Europe, adding that “there are over forty of them on the property.”

     If you happen to be in Key West the first weekend of November, as we were, other novel species, like Parrot Heads show up. In town for their annual convention, the prospect of Jimmy Buffett appearing in concert sends these colorful characters to the original Margaritaville in search of libation and lyrics.  They swung out in droves on Saturday, closing Duval Street, the major thoroughfare, as several thousand were in Paradise with Jimmy singing from his specially built stage.

     As the excitement died down, the thread of our conversation turned truly patriotic and we were off to Front Street to pay respect to the Harry S. Truman Little White House.  In 1890, the U.S. Navy built an 8,700 square foot home on the waterfront to house the base commander and paymaster. It remained as such for years even becoming home to Thomas Edison while he conducted experiments and developed weapons for the U.S. Navy during World War I.  Later, in search of warm weather and fine surroundings, in 1946, President Truman turned the wooden two -story building into a retreat and functioning White House.  It was here that he enacted the Civil Rights Executive Order. Since then, the Little White House has held numerous presidential summits and peace talks.  Touring throughout the grand mansion, Dave, a Key Wester, pointed out the ever present Truman saying that remains on the past President’s desk: “the buck stops here.”

     Like the Little White House, most homes in Key West are over a century old.  Many of them were built by ships carpenters to “sway” in order to protect them from hurricanes.  Some stand on stilts as beacons to the strength of the past.  Yet, many ships navigating to Key West have not survived the tidal winds and waves and shipwrecks and salvaging has been a most profitable venture.  According to legend Key West became the richest city in the U.S. in the 1860s, rescuing shipwrecks and bringing people claim to everything on board.  American treasure hunter, Mel Fisher, is best known for finding the 1622 wreck of the Spanish galleon, Nuestra Senora de Atocha with an estimated $450 million dollar cache of gold, silver, and Columbian emeralds.  Mr. Fisher realized that the discoveries were too important not to be shared with the world, and in 1982, he founded the Mel Fisher Maritime Heritage Society and Museum which contains an extensive collection of artifacts from the Atocha and other seventeen century shipwrecks.  The 85,000 artifacts are too numerous to describe, however, of particular note, is the rare gold plate and gold cup that was used to detect poisoned wine.

     After some time of soaking up the island’s veritable valuables, along with the glowing sunset, Key Lime Pie is a delicious ending to a perfect Key West visit.  But, don’t look for it to be green.  Made from the fresh juice of Key limes, and offered in most restaurants, the very finest slice has a pale yellow filling with whipped cream or meringue topping.  We just had to have two versions: one from Kermits Key Lime Shop and one from Café Sole.

If you go: Duval Inn (B&B), 511 Angela Street; wwwduvalinn.com

                  Hemingway House, 907 Whitehead Street; www.HemingwayHome.com

                   Harry S. Truman Little White House, 111 Front Street; www.trumanlittlewhitehouse.com

                   Mel Fisher Maritime Museum, 200 Greene Street; www.melfisher.org

                   Kermit’s Key Lime Shop, 200 Elizabeth Street

                   Café Sole, 1029 Southard Street; CafeSole.com








Thursday, November 10, 2011

Notre Dame Travel story

SOUTH BEND, Ind. — On a cloudless October day, the Notre Dame campus, which is steeped in a storied grid­iron tradition, comes alive.

The lore of the Fighting Irish dates back to 1842 when a young French priest, Father Edward Sorin, used $310 to start the University of Notre Dame du Lac in three log buildings in Indiana.

It’s a football tradition that includes the story of ultimate underdog Rudy, the Four Horsemen and the famous words of George Gipp, “Win just one for the Gipper.”

And so it was, with the luck of the Irish, that I was able to purchase a friend’s tickets to the recent Notre Dame-Air Force game as a Christmas present for my husband, and myself.

Even with tickets in hand, there are still plenty of logis­tics to work out when it comes to attending a Notre Dame game. Already by July, hotels were booked and air­fares were sky high.

What my friend had said about Notre Dame football was obviously correct.

“It’s a three-day event unlike anything you’ve ever experienced in the Big 8, the Big 12, the NFL, or the AFL.” Two days before Saturday’s kickoff, we arrived at our hotel, greeted by a reception­ist wearing a pink Notre Dame jersey. She presented us with a bag of gifts includ­ing Notre Dame stationery, football banners and campus maps.

As we explored the 1,250­acre campus, we encountered many of the traditions that lead up to kickoff. There’s the midnight drummer’s cir­cle at the Main Building, the devout kneeling in reverence in the Grotto, and the rush through the tunnel, the same fabled walk that every Irish player has taken for the past 80 years.

Fans wave and cheer as the football players in suits and ties are driven across cam­pus to be introduced at a pep rally. The entire team attends Mass at the Basilica of the Sacred Heart, then players move through applauding crowds to the stadium.

“If you could find a way to bottle the Notre Dame spirit, you could light up the uni­verse,” former Irish quarter­back Joe Theisman said.

Led by three drum majors, and closely followed by the Irish Guard, 10 6-foot-2 colle­gians dressed in Irish kilts of Notre Dame plaid emerge from the south tunnel, lead­ing the way for the Band of the Fighting Irish.

Next there was an Air Force B-2 bomber passing over the field.

The whistles blow and play begins with 120 Notre Dame players donning their hel­mets, freshly painted and dusted in gold, replicating the golden dome that tops the University’s Administration building.

Notre Dame is one of four independent collegiate foot­ball teams that opted out of joining a conference and remains independent. For 21 consecutive years, they have had a contract with NBC Sports to broadcast home games. The partnership has been valuable for both the university and the network.

Revenue from the contract has provided millions of dol­lars in financial aid to Notre Dame’s students.

On this day, Notre Dame dominated, beating Air Force 59-33. The teams’ combined total of 92 points was the most in Notre Dame Stadium history.

After the game, players joined arms with students and fans to sing the Alma Mater, and then raced to the Air Force side to serenade their opponents.

Perhaps alum Regis Philbin sums up the whole experi­ence best.

“There’s a feeling of good­ness at Notre Dame, not to be seen in any other part of the world.”





Thursday, September 29, 2011

Thad Suits- The Music of Language

Great Falls 09/02/2011, Page L01

THE MUSIC OF LANGUAGE

Classical musician teaches Arabic at MSU-Great Falls


By POLLY KOLSTAD


For the Tribune


A cellist for the Great Falls Sym­phony, Thad Suits understands well the language of music. He plays in the Cascade Quartet, and he and his wife Su make up the Mistral Duo.

He also teaches students how to play the cello at his Great Falls studio.

Next month Suits will speak an entirely different language, one that he also will share with students.

On Sept. 13, Suits begins his sec­ond year of teaching an Arabic lan­guage class at MSU-Great Falls Col­lege of Technology.

Suits has studied Arabic for eight years and vacationed in Morocco a few years ago, where he immersed himself in the language. His taxi driver became his guide and com­panion and refused to speak Eng­lish.

Suits watches Al-Jazeera televi­sion and reads Arab newspapers. He remains pen pals with acquainta nc­es he has made in Arab countries.

An Egyptian girl who lived in Alexandria translated some Arabic comic books for Suits, and the two stay in touch. Now living in Canada, she offered Suits an insider’s view of the Egyptian revolution.

“She gives me an earful,” Suits
said.

Word of mouth led Suits to MSU-Tech and a teaching position.

“With so much going on in the Middle East and so many of our peo­ple over there, the study of the Ara­bic language has grown in populari­ty,” said Deb Richerson, who works in the Outreach and Continuing Edu­cation Department.

Along with teaching the basics of the language, Suits’ also offers an Arabic cultural segment in which he delves into music, the arts and architecture. The semester ends with a sampling of Arabic cuisine.

“(The class) helps us better understand the Arab cultures and the language,” said Jana Carter, who took Suits’ course last year.

Reading Arabic was especially challenging.

“I felt like I was going crazy at
times going right to left,” she said.

“The language was difficult in that some of the sounds aren’t in English or in the Romance languages.”

There are 28 Arabic letters, none of them vowels, and some are diffi­cult to pronounce, with no English equivalents. Arabic dates back as early as the alphabet itself and is used by 150 million people world­wide.

Because she loves languages, Alexandra Ferriera took the begin­ning Arabic class last year and is signed up for the next course.

“The Arabic language is difficult to get used to, but I liked it very much and I will continue,” Ferriera said.

As a kid, Suits remembers sitting around the dinner table and listen­ing to his father use foreign phras­es. His father spoke some German, which inspired Suits to study that language in high school and take a semester in college. The two wars in Iraq encouraged Suits to learn Ara­bic.

“It’s like looking at the code and wanting to break the code,” he said.

Suits’ class is offered through MSU-Tech’s continuing education program. Registration is under way for the one-credit class.

For more information or to regis­ter, visit outreach.msugf.edu.





Great Falls Symphony cellist Thad Suits begins teaching an Arabic language class at MSU-Great Falls College of Technology later this month. TRIBUNE PHOTO/LARRY BECKNER


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First CMR Four letter female athlete

Senior athlete breaks new ground



Pyette becomes first girl to letter in four varsity sports at CMR


By POLLY KOLSTAD


For the Tribune


At 5-foot-1, Lexi Pyette has proven that being small doesn’t mean you can’t accomplish big things as a high school athlete.

Entering her senior year this fall, Pyette is the first C.M. Russell High School female to letter in four varsity sports, earning accolades in golf, soccer, basketball and tennis. This feat is not only a testament to her athleticism and tenacity but also her abili­ty to manage an incredibly busy schedule.

“Lexi is a phenomenal athlete that could do well at any sport,” CMR golf coach Brian Halverson said. “She’s athletically tal­ented, works hard and
never complains. In August, she moves from my practice to two a days in soccer. She’s a positive example.”

Pyette is planning to major in medicine when she graduates next spring and has maintained a 3.85 GPA, despite missing as many as one to two days of school a week during her busiest sports seasons.

She can count on one hand the days she’s had off from practice in the past school year — the week between the end of soccer season and the beginning of basketball.

Pyette began playing soccer at age 7 and is a for­ward on the CMR squad, averaging almost a goal a game. She helped the team advance to state last sea­son.

She plays point guard for the CMR basketball team and said the intense workouts are the hardest practices of the year. Pyette, who averages close
to six points a game, does­n’t seem to mind that she’s the shortest player in the program.

“I like to play against the taller girls,” she said. “It makes me work harder.”

Up until this spring, about the only activity missing in Pyette’s reper­toire was tennis. But a round of golf one day with CMR tennis coach Deb Erwin changed that.

“She encouraged me to go out and play,” Pyette said.

And that’s all it took. Erwin taught her the basics of the game and was impressed with how quick­ly Pyette picked it up.

“She was just an incredi­ble find,” Erwin said.

Pyette was already in shape from her basketball conditioning, but said the move to tennis wasn’t the easiest transition.

“All those quick change basketball drills really helped,” she said. “I hate to lose so I would keep chug­ging
along until I won.”

She played No. 3 singles and won three matches at divisionals.

Summer is her time to relax and play golf with her dad, Willie, which she has done since she was 4.

Pyette’s sports strength and conditioning routine includes the Results class with Dan Groux and Jamey Galbraith at the Benefis Orthopedic Center.

Galbraith has worked with Pyette since she was 12 and said she’s a very “coachable kid.”

“She gives it her all and works hard no matter what,” he said.

Pyette keeps her energy level high and her weight stable by eating lots of pro­tein and avoiding most carbs. She drinks plenty of water and gets eight to nine hours of sleep a night. “It feels good when you are in shape and can push your body to the limit,” she
said.

Apples are healthy

Apples- Fitness for September

    We have all heard “an apple a day keeps the doctor away.”  

     While it may take more than a daily apple to keep you healthy, it is a step in the right direction. 

     Apples are tasty, an easy snack to carry along, low in calories, a natural mouth freshener, and not expensive.

      Apples are for everyone. They’re nutritional treasure: an apple contains only 81 calories, with almost no fat.  Apples are a source of fiber: soluble and insoluble.   The soluble fiber, help prevent cholesterol buildup in the lining of blood vessel walls, thus reducing the incident of arteriosclerosis and heart disease.  The insoluble fiber provides bulk in the intestinal tract, holding water to cleanse and move food quickly through the digestive system.

     As a source of dietary fiber, apples help aid digestion and promote weight loss.  A medium apple contains about five grams of fiber, more than most cereals.  Also, apples contain almost zero fat and cholesterol, so they are a delicious snack and dessert food that’s good for you.    

      It is a good idea to eat apples with their skin.  Almost half of the Vitamin C content is just underneath the skin.  Eating the skin also increases insoluble fiber content.  Most often apple’s fragrance cells are also concentrated in the skin and as they ripen the skin cells develop more aroma and flavor.

      Recently seen eating a juicy red Gala variety on their front porch, Quincey Borggard, age 12, and brother, Kellen, age 9, declare: “We love apples!”

      Kids who eat apples may be gaining in the classroom.  Eating apples could be the smart thing to do.

  An apple a day now has new meaning for those who want to maintain mental dexterity.  It is especially important as we age.  New research from the   University of Massachusetts suggests that consuming apple juice may protect against cell damage that contributes to age-related memory loss, even in test animals that were not prone to developing Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias.  Although more research is needed, these brain health findings are encouraging for all individuals who are interested in staying  mentally sharp as they age.

      Apples also contain hefty amounts of boron, a mineral believed to boost alertness and help curb calcium losses that lead to osteoporosis.

      Apples can combat cancer, stroke, and heart disease and help lungs.  New Harvard research finds 20% less heart disease in apple eaters.  In test tubes, apple antioxidents slowed the growth of human cancer cells 50%.  The peel has the most antioxidants.

     No surprise that apples make the list of protecting lungs.  Chances are you never knew that eating an apple a day is particularly good for your lungs.  All the more so if you smoke.  In a study presented before the American Thoracic Society British researchers said that apples were more effective than other fruits and vegetables in reducing the risk of developing serious disease including lung cancer.  In another study, Dutch scientist found that smokers who ate an apple a day were half as likely to develop chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), an umbrella term for emphysema and chronic bronchitis.

      In recent years, apple consumption has been linked with reduced cancer risk in several studies.  A 2001 Mayo Clinic study indicated that Quercetin, a flavonoid abundant in apples, helps prevent the growth of prostate cancer cells.  A Cornell University study indicated phytochemicals in the skin of an apple inhibited the reproduction of colon cancer cells by 43 per cent.  The National Cancer Institute has reported that food containing flavonoids like those found in apples may reduce the risk of lung cancer by as much as 50 percent.

    New research suggests that both apple pectin and apple juice extracts may enhance the body’s ability to protect from colon cancer. German researchers found that components of apples and apple juice react in the colon and help to slow the growth of precancerous and tumor cells.  This study is published in the scientific journal, Nutrition (April 2008).  Subsequent studies have demonstrated that the components in both apple pectin and apple juice actually enhance biological mechanisms that have anticarcinogenic effects in the colon.